Chapter 3: Into The Forsaken Wood
About an hour after Moondancer's announcement, all the ponies who knew about Firefly's going into the Forsaken Wood arrived at the entrance, with Moondancer being the first who ever got there. Medley, Bow Tie, Glory, Twilight, Sunbeam, Bubbles, Lemon Drop, and Lickety-Split all arrived. Medley, Glory, Twilight, Bubbles, and Lemon Drop all have saddle bags on them containing items they thought were needed to journey into the dreary Forsaken Wood with. The sun continued to hang in the sky, shining bright onto the world below, lighting everything up with its golden glow. Moondancer stood in front of them, proud and tall, with her spindly legs straight and firm.
"Alright, everypony! Now that we're all here, I must advise you that going into the Forsaken Wood is going to be no easy task. Lots of ferocious and dangerous creatures live there, and there's poisonous plants growing all over the place, so we have to absolutely be careful about where we step and stay together at all costs!" Moondancer edicted, her voice loud and lucid.
"I brought a few tubes of cream that can combat poison ivy and other ailments caused by plants from the Forsaken Wood," Medley said as she pulled some small tubes out of her saddlebag and showed them to Moondancer, who smiled upon seeing the green pegasus's selection.
"That's great, Meds!" Moondancer said with praise.
"I brought helmets with lights on them in case the lights of the unicorns burn out," Twilight said as she put on a slightly rustic silver helmet with a light on her head and turned it on. The light on it shined quite brightly. "I brought batteries for them too, in case they go out."
"Nice job, Twilight! That'll be very useful!" Moondancer exclaimed.
"I've been perfecting my fighting skills," Bow Tie said as she demonstrated some kicks with her back legs and chops with her front legs.
"Excellent work, Bow Tie. We might end up fighting some ferocious creatures, so we need all the help we can get," Moondancer said.
"I brought my mother's first aid kit with me in case anypony gets hurt!" Lickety-Split piped in, showing everypony a white box with a red cross on it.
"So did I," Medley and Glory both said at the same time.
"Bubbles and I couldn't decide what to bring for this trip, so we just kind of went with blow horns," Lemon Drop said as she pulled two blow horns out of Bubbles' saddle bag.
"Huh?! Blow horns?!" Lickety-Split, Glory, and Medley all exclaimed, looking at each other with shocked and confused faces, then turning back to Bubbles and Lemon Drop.
"Why did you bring blow horns? Won't they attract too much attention?" Medley asked, a little surprised by Lemon Drop's decision (Medley knew right away that the whole thing was Lemon Drop's idea. She knows for a fact that Bubbles hates loud noise and would never even think of coming into contact with blow horns).
"Not if you want to use it to scare monsters away when they're about to eat you! Don't worry! We'll only use these as a last resort option. I know Bubbles hates it, but we might need them if we end up either getting lost or about to get eaten by monsters," Lemon Drop explained.
Moondancer looked at Lemon Drop for a bit, then smiled. "A little unorthodox, but I'll allow it, just so long as you ONLY use it for an emergency!"
"Yes, ma'am!" Lemon Drop exclaimed brightly, feeling like a soldier who has been praised by his general for a noble deed.
Glory turned to Medley with an uneasy look on her face. "I can't say that I approve of this idea, and I'm especially surprised Moondancer is even giving approval for it," Glory told her, looking very uncertain.
"I know how you feel. I also don't think it's a good idea, but Lemon Drop never goes back on her word, so perhaps she will only use them for emergencies. Besides, we're already putting ourselves in enough trouble as it is," Medley whispered back to Glory, also feeling very uncertain and uneasy. "Not only that, maybe it'll help us get closer to Firefly."
"I'm just hoping we get this done quickly so we won't get in any trouble," Glory whispered. "Not only that, I'm not sure if I approve of Moondancer leading this trip."
"Why? She knows the risks and is willing to take responsibility if things go wrong," Medley asked. Medley knew from experience that while Moondancer isn't exactly the best pony in the world, she's definitely reliable and responsible.
"Yes, and while I do exalt her for being dependable and responsible, she does tend to be a little too reckless at times. There have just been too many incidents where she took on a leadership role and wound up getting not just herself, but everyone else into trouble," Glory said, a little dubious about Moondancer and their current situation.
Medley had to admit, Glory had a point. Medley remembered a time when the ponies went exploring in a cave one. One of the ponies who accompanied them, a chatterbox pegasus pony named Whizzer, angered Moondancer so much that she wound up shooting magic at the cave and causing rocks to trap them in the cave for quite a long while. Since Moondancer was the only unicorn among them at the time, it was hard to get out, but in the end, she realized her mistake and got the ponies out. Medley was among the ponies who were trapped and she knew that both Whizzer and Moondancer were at fault for the cave incident, but Moondancer helped them get out as well, and Medley had to admit, if it weren't for Moondancer, then they wouldn't have gotten out. Medley did believe in Moondancer and help her get over her anger, so she knew that the red-haired unicorn was capable of fixing her mistakes, though she had to admit that she did agree with Glory.
"That is true. Moondancer does get reckless at times, but not always. She always takes it upon herself to learn the risks and consequences of her actions, takes full responsibility for things that happen under her watch, and makes sure that everyone gets out safely. I understand you're worried about her, Glory. Believe me, I am too. But we shouldn't have any doubts in this situation. We should believe in her, and everypony else here. We're not alone, y'know?" Medley told her kindly. Glory smiled and nodded politely.
Moondancer stomped her hoof into the ground. "This journey isn't for the weak! All of you need to step up your game!" Moondancer exclaimed, putting great emphasis on the last four words, further exacerbating Glory and Medley's concerns.
"Oh my," Glory muttered.
"I'm ready to step up my game!" Sunbeam piped in with a bright, flashing smile.
"Me too!" Lickety-Split backed her up.
"So am I! Bring it on, ferocious creatures!" Lemon Drop said with a spec of cockiness in her voice.
"Let's do this!" Bow Tie exclaimed.
"I'm glad you all are so enthusiastic, but we shouldn't be cocky in this situation," Medley told them.
"Medley's got a point. We absolutely MUST be careful. This is the Forsaken Wood we're going into, and it is NOT to be taken lightly. Not at all," Twilight advised calmly.
"They're right. The Forsaken Wood has all kinds of dangers, and we have to be on our guard the whole time we're in there!" Moondancer said.
"Question!" Lickety-Split piped in.
"Yes?" Moondancer asked.
"Do any other ponies know that we're going in there?"
"The only ponies who know about our trip are Fizzy, Majesty, and Sparkler, but they promised not to tell anypony so I think we can trust them," Moondancer replied.
"They're all unicorns," Bubbles murmured to nopony in particular.
"That's right, Bubbles," Twilight said with a nod, as she heard Bubbles' random statement just now.
"Alright! Now that everypony's here, let's go into the Forsaken Wood!" Moondancer exclaimed.
"YEAH!" Everyone raised their hooves in the air.
Of course, as soon as they approached the entrance, it turned out to be pitch black all the way down.
"Sunbeam and Glory! Lights, please!" Moondancer told them.
"Aye aye, cap'n!" Sunbeam exclaimed happily as she closed her eyes and thought of making her horn emit light. In return, her horn glowed in a pale yellow color, like the sun, quickly brightening most of the path. Glory did the same, only her horn glowed in a sea blue color. Moondancer came afterward, with her horn glowing in a rosy reddish pink color. Twilight kept the light on her helmet on for safety.
"I'll cover you guys on the rear so we don't lose light," Twilight said as she went to the back of the line.
"Sunbeam and I will lead the way since our lights are brighter. Follow us and stay on the path at ALL TIMES!" Moondancer told them, putting emphasis on the final sentence. Everypony nodded grimly as they all ventured into the Forsaken Wood.
Despite the light filling the forest, Medley became worried. 'Firefly...oh, I do hope you're alright! Please be alright!' Medley thought as she nervously walked behind Bow Tie and in front of Bubbles, both of whom looked just as nervous as she. But then again, all the ponies on this trip looked pretty nervous.
What the pony group didn't know was that some other pony saw them go into the entrance. It was none other than Sparkler, who happened to be walking by right as they went in. As soon as she saw them go inside, she became worried.
"Oh, I do hope they're alright. If only my magic was strong enough, then I'd be able to help them," Sparkler said out loud. But she would soon realize that she made a huge mistake.
"Help who?"
Sparkler gasped and turned around upon hearing a low, dignified, lady-like voice. She found two ponies, one pegasus and an earth pony. The pegasus is extremely pale blue in color, just like the sky. Her mane and tail are thick, smooth, soft, and a beautiful shade of pale pink. On her flank is a pink whistle. Her lavender eyes and crossed hooves stared down at the apprehensive Sparkler sternly, like a strict authority figure. The earth pony is snow white, with short, frizzy, curly, reddish pink hair, pinker in shade than Moondancer's, and a curly tail, much shorter than the pegasus's straight, smooth tail. Her eyes are ocean blue, and on her flank is a turquoise dove surrounded by small red hearts.
"Whoa! Wind Whistler! Truly! What are you two doing here?!" Sparkler yelped, shocked by their presence. The pegasus, Wind Whistler, descended before Sparkler, looking quite curious. The white earth pony, Truly, approached Sparkler curiously as well.
"What in tarnation, Sparkler?" Truly asked with a very strong, very heavy Southern drawl(1). "What's a pony like you doin' near this dark an' dirty place? This ain't a place for ponies like you, sugarcube! And what was you sayin' earlier about some ponies goin' in 'dere?"
"I have to agree with Truly. It is very out of character of a dignified and sophisticated pony such as yourself to even go within 100 feet of such an ominous and treacherous place like the Forsaken Wood," Wind Whistler told her in a very dignified voice.
"Uh...uh...uh..." Sparkler stammered, not knowing how to respond. "I...I was just passing by! I-"
"Don't you go lyin' to me, missy!" Truly suddenly exclaimed, throwing herself in the anxious unicorn's face with a very stern look. "I know a lie when I see one, and it's darn clear that yer lyin' through yer teeth! You better tell us the truth or you're gonna get it!"
"You shouldn't lie, Sparkler. It's a very nefarious thing to do. We clearly heard you say that you hope they're alright and that if your magic was strong enough, then you'd be able to help them, and it sure isn't something you hear every day either," Wind Whistler told her, looking just as suspicious as Truly is, only she didn't throw herself into Sparkler's face.
Sparkler could feel her legs about to buckle. If she had known Wind Whistler or Truly were going to be passing by, Sparkler would have kept her mouth shut. But then again, being the ponies that they are, they might have found out anyway, and they're very particular around ponies who are telling little white lies, so Sparkler knew that no matter what she did, she was never going to get Truly and Wind Whistler off her case unless she told the truth. But she didn't want to get Moondancer and the others in more trouble, and she promised them that she would keep this a secret. Wind Whistler and Truly were the worst ponies to run into when trying to keep a secret. Sparkler tried to throw them off multiple times, but no matter what she did, the two ponies not once left her alone. They're very persistent, and once they see a secret keeper or a liar, they'll follow her around until she cracked. In the end, Sparkler realized she couldn't keep it from them any longer. In her mind, she apologized to Moondancer and the other ponies.
Speaking of whom, they walked on for quite a while. They couldn't tell for how long because the trees above them have leaves so huge and so thick that they practically blocked off the entire sky, trapping them in like a leafy cave. Not one sunbeam came through the big leaves. Not one. The trees around them are completely black, dark brown, or ruddy red, looking very gnarled. Some of the bark they passed even have claw marks on them, like an animal scratched it or something. They didn't dare stop to look at them. Just being here in this dreary place is scary enough. The plants on both sides of the dirt path looked nice, but nopony knew what they were. They could be poisonous, so they didn't dare approach them. Bubbles even resisted the urge to smell some big, dark blue flowers she saw, heeding the warnings of Medley and Moondancer. The smells around them were so horrid, so noisome, so repulsive, and so unsanitary that it literally made Lickety-Split fall on her rump.
"UGH! It smells absolutely HORRIBLE!" Lickety-Split wailed as she tried to push her hooves into her nose to block out the smell.
"I have to agree. This noisome odor is just utterly horrendous! I wonder how the animals here are able to tolerate this horrid scent on a regular basis," Medley backed Lickety-Split on this one, and so did everypony else.
"I wish I brought some air freshener," Glory piped in.
"I think I'm gonna be sick..." Bow Tie muttered.
"You're gonna be sick? I think I'm already sick!" Lemon Drop bellowed.
"Ewww," Bubbles said.
"We have to keep moving, everypony! Firefly's our top priority at this time!" Moondancer told them as she beckoned for them to keep going. Despite the horrible aroma giving them all headaches, the ponies continued on.
"I feel like it's getting darker the further we go in," Twilight said.
"That's the Forsaken Wood for you. Dark, dreary, dank, and utterly depressing," Glory said.
"And scary," Bubbles murmured softly.
"It's no wonder everypony hates coming here," Lickety-Split said.
Despite the many depressing things surrounding them, the ponies walked further ahead. All of a sudden, Bubbles suddenly stopped, causing Medley and Bow Tie to run into her, though she didn't fall, which caught the attention of the other ponies.
"Bubbles! Why'd you stop?" Bow Tie asked, trying to suppress her anger.
"Shh! I hear something!" Bubbles hushed the other ponies and looked up.
All the ponies fell silent. The forest would be silent as well...if they didn't suddenly hear the sound of very low but very ferocious growling.
"She's right! I do hear it!" Moondancer exclaimed.
"What do you think it is?" Sunbeam asked.
"I don't know, and I really don't want to find out," Lemon Drop said.
Suddenly, a piercing, bloodcurdling scream popped out from Twilight's mouth, echoing throughout the entire forest.
"GET OFF OF MEEEE!" With a scream, Twilight used her back legs to kick something that put it's claw on her tail. As everypony shined their lights in the opposite direction, they were surprised to see the source of the growling.
Three strange, gnarled looking wolves are behind them, staring at them with ferocious, greenish yellow eyes. Their bodies looked as though they were made of a combination of twigs, gnarled branches, big leaves, and rock. Their teeth are certainly sharp, their claws are clearly not to be taken lightly, their faces are long, big, and ferocious, and the wolves themselves are almost the size of fallen tree logs.
"Wood wolves!" Medley exclaimed.
"Wood wolves?" Glory asked.
"I read about them! Wood wolves are wolves that are made from twigs, tree branches, leaves, and rock because of a magic mishap caused by a unicorn long ago. They're very territorial and bloodthirsty, willing to attack anything and anyone that dares to even so much as come into their line of vision! They're very persistent, too! Once they see you and you try to run, they'll chase you forever!" Medley explained while becoming scared.
One wood wolf barked, and the other two proceeded to charge at them.
The ponies screamed with all their might...except for four of them.
"Kyaahh!" With quick precision, Bow Tie quickly evaded one wood wolf who tried to attack her and retaliated with a strong back leg kick to the face, causing it to roll on the grass as it covered it's face with its claws. "Take that, you horrid creature!"
A wood wolf was about to attack Bubbles, with its mouth wide open and its teeth boasting about their sharpness. But before the wood wolf could attack the helpless yellow pony, he felt something grab onto his ears. It turned out to be none other than Lemon Drop.
"Yeehaw!" Lemon Drop cried out cheerfully as the wood wolf began thrashing around, trying to pry her off. But Lemon Drop looked like she was having the time of her life! "Show me what you got, Mr. Wolf!"
The wood wolf kicked, thrashed, and howled, but Lemon Drop just wouldn't let go. She's both having too much fun and too focused on trying to stay on his back so he wouldn't attack Bubbles, who quickly retreated to Glory's side once Lemon Drop distracted it with her wolf riding. After a while, Lemon Drop wound up losing her grip and the wood wolf managed to throw her into the air.
"All yours, Twilight!" Lemon Drop piped in as she passed by Twilight upon descending to the ground.
"I'm on it!" Twilight said as she proceeded to use her front hooves to repeatedly pound on the same wood wolf's head despite the fact that it was about to lunge at her. After a few punches and kicks, the wood wolf finally gave up and ran away into the distance. But now two wood wolves are left.
"Hey! Leave my friends alone, you mangy mutts!" Moondancer yelled valiantly as she stood between her friends and the hungry wood wolves. Her horn glowed in a rosy red color, and all of a sudden, multiple rays of light shot out from her horn. Many of them missed, but three rays of light managed to hit one wood wolf enough to make it fall to the ground, unable to move.
"Moondancer! Be careful!" Medley called out with worry, knowing what would happen if Moondancer wasn't careful.
"Moondancer!" Twilight cried out as she grabbed onto the wood wolf's ears and yanked them very hard. So hard that the wood wolf howled in pain. Seeing this as an opening, Moondancer and Bow Tie both slipped underneath the wood wolf and kicked it in the stomach with both of their back legs, rendering it unable to breathe for a bit. But the wood wolf stammered back to his feet and proceeded to lunge at them again.
"Scatter!" Medley called out as she saw the wood wolf about to lunge at them. On cue, all of the ponies who didn't participate in the fighting scattered away in different directions...except for one.
"Back! Back, you dog! Behold the power of my light!" Sunbeam bravely stood up to the ferocious, bloodthirsty wood wolf, shining her glowing horn at it's face, hoping it would blind it and keep it from attacking them. But the wood wolf then saw Medley trying to think of a way to stop him. As soon as the rest of the ponies were about to assault the remaining wood wolf, it suddenly jumped away from them and immediately lunged at Medley, pinning her to the ground.
"KYAAA!"
"MEDLEY!" All the other ponies screamed as they tried to pry the wood wolf off of her, but the wolf kicked them all off. The scream echoed throughout the entire forest, along with Medley's scream.
While the wood wolf didn't have his claws out, Medley knew that if she didn't act quickly, it most certainly would bring them out in due time. Despite being consumed by fear and the potential death sentence about to overtake her, Medley tried to remain as calm as possible despite the wood wolf staring down at her wickedly and mercilessly. She knew that wood wolves show no mercy to their prey. She had to watch as the other ponies desperately tried to save her, but the wood wolf constantly pushed them all off. 'Stay calm, Medley. If you think rationally, something will come to you. But you have to act quick or else you'll be roadkill!' Medley thought as she looked at the dark scenery around her. She moved her hooves, which are free, around to feel something she could grab.
Then her right hoof felt it. A surprisingly long, sharp, and thorny stick. It was long enough to be used as a spear. Medley isn't one who particularly likes violence, and only uses it for necessary defense. Not only that, she's an animal lover too. To her, animal cruelty is even more disgraceful than getting into a fight with someone, and it was something she was not going to tolerate no matter what. But she knew she was in a bad situation, and the ponies who are with her likely aren't strong enough to handle a gigantic wood wolf whose body is made up of things from its natural habitat, and Medley knew that this wood wolf was not going to let go of it's prey once it got a hold of it, so she knew she would have to hurt it. All of a sudden, a long, pink ray of light hit the wood wolf's face, leaving a black charred area on it's cheek.
"Hey, wood wolf! Over here! Come and get me!" Moondancer yelled angrily.
The wood wolf turned to look at Moondancer...which would prove to be a mistake.
All of a sudden, from out of nowhere, the wood wolf felt something sharp, thorny, and rigid go right into his left eye, permeating it in its entirety. As soon as the wood wolf felt it, he bellowed and howled in excruciating pain. The wood wolf howled harder and louder than any of the wood wolves in the Forsaken Wood, its howls echoing throughout the entire forest. The ponies were shocked by what just happened.
Medley stabbed the wood wolf in the eye with the long stick!
Once the wood wolf covered it's eye with its paws, Medley used the opportunity to quickly run away. Bubbles and Glory helped her out and made sure she was away from it's line of vision. The stick continued to hang from the wood wolf's eye until the wood wolf used it's paws to yank it out, but it didn't help any, as purple liquid started pouring out of it. Thinking the wood wolf wasn't done with them yet, Moondancer, Sunbeam, Bow Tie, and Lemon Drop stood in front of it valiantly.
"Give it up, you one-eyed mutt!" Lemon Drop yelled.
"Stay away from our friend, you monster!" Bow Tie yelled.
On cue, the wood wolf heeded their warnings and finally ran away in pain, leaving a trail of purple ooze as it left the scene. Everypony exhaled a huge sigh of relief. Bow Tie then turned to Medley, who was being tended to by Lickety-Split.
"Medley! Are you alright?!" Bow Tie yelped as she and the other ponies ran over to her. Lickety-Split finished wrapping a bandage on Medley's hoof.
"That wood wolf could have killed you!" Sunbeam exclaimed with worry in her eyes.
Medley smiled at them sweetly. "Yes, I'm fine. Thanks for worrying about me, though I think my hoof got pricked at from the stick I used to attack it," Medley said.
"She's right. Even the sticks and branches around here have thorns on them," Lickety-Split said.
"But wow! You were awesome back there! You managed to stick that thing in its eye like you were some kind of pony warrior!" Moondancer exclaimed happily.
Medley's smile faded and she stared down at the ground a little dejectedly.
"You were so brave despite being in danger! I have to admit, I wish I was as brave as you!" Glory said.
"What's wrong? You don't look happy," Bubbles asked, noticing the sadness in Medley's face.
"I...I wish I didn't have to resort to that," Medley murmured softly.
"Why?" Bubbles asked innocently.
"Even if they're from the Forsaken Wood, they're still animals...living creatures, just like us. We shouldn't hurt them. I just wish we could have put a patch on it's eye," Medley explained.
"Meds! That thing was rabid! It could have killed you!" Moondancer exclaimed, a little surprised by Medley's sudden change of heart in regards to the wood wolves.
"I do have to agree with Moondancer. While I do respect your love for animals and life in general, in times of crisis we may have to resort to violent means, even when we don't want to, just so we can survive. I'm a docile pacifist myself and I abhor fighting, but if I'm in danger then I have to defend myself," Glory explained calmly.
"Yeah! I taught myself how to fight because other ponies kept calling me a girly-girl, thinking I can't stand up for myself and that I'm some kind of damsel in distress who needs constant protection 24/7, and I hate that!" Bow Tie piped in.
"Besides, I don't think wood wolves will listen to reason either way," Lemon Drop said.
Medley knew they had good points, so she didn't argue with them. She did float into the air once Lickety-Split was done sterilizing the scratches on her hoof.
"You think you can go on?" Moondancer asked.
"I can, so long as I fly," Medley replied sweetly.
"I'll stay with you so we don't veer off course," Twilight said as she flew by Medley's side.
"Alright everypony! Let's keep moving!" Moondancer said as she let her horn glow again.
The ponies thought they were alone in the Forsaken Wood, alone to a point where nopony else would hear their screams. But they were wrong.
"What the-?!" Around the time Medley was attacked, Firefly heard the screams from afar. She stood up on the tree she was on, looking very alert. "Starshine! Did you hear that just now?!"
"Yeah, I did!" Starshine said as she stood up next to Firefly.
Firefly thought what she heard was an illusion. But she heard it loud and clear, and immediately, her angry heart shed all of it's anger, turning into worry.
"That sounded like...Medley!" Firefly shouted, recognizing the scream. "It sounds like she's in trouble! I've gotta go save her!"
Firefly zipped from the tree, descended downward into the forest and zipped through it. Starshine chased after her.
"Firefly! Don't go so fast! It's dangerous! You've gotta be careful!" Starshine told her.
Starshine's words echoed in Firefly's mind, but not as a warning. Medley often said those very words to her more times than not, and now, Medley could be in trouble! How could she be careful when her friend is in danger?
"My friend's in trouble! I've gotta help her somehow!" Firefly screamed with her eyes closed, not realizing that she's about to fly into a huge bush of thorns. Something that Starshine saw.
"Firefly! Look out!" Starshine shouted, but it was too late.
"Oof!"
Firefly found herself and her wings trapped in the big bushel of thorns. Part of her left wing was actually wrapped around one vine a bit. Upon opening her eyes, Firefly tried to get out, but the pain caused by the thorns and her wing being trapped in one of the vines held her back. No matter how much she struggled, all the thorns poked holes in her pink body without mercy, and her wing wasn't faring much better. Starshine flew over to her and couldn't help but chuckle a little, which perturbed Firefly quite a good deal.
"Starshine! Quit laughing at me!" Firefly screamed angrily.
"Now I see why Medley's constantly worrying about you," Starshine said.
"Oh, like you're one to talk! Do you mind?" Firefly retorted. Starshine looked at Firefly with an authoritative stare and crossed her arms.
"What's the magic word?"
Firefly sighed and rolled her eyes at the same time. "Pleeeeease?"
"Okay!" Starshine exclaimed cheerfully as she proceeded to try and unwrap Firefly's wing from the vine, which proved to be no easy task.
"Ow! Ow! Cut it out, Starshine! Ack!" Firefly yelped from the pain.
"Sorry! I'm being as careful as I can!" Starshine retorted back.
"Medley's way better at this than you!"
"Look who's talking, Ms. Reckless Danger Extraordinaire."
After about a few harrowing and painful minutes, Starshine managed to get Firefly out of the thorny bush and onto the ground despite how dark it is. Starshine then saw that some thorns and thistles still managed to stick to Firefly's body, so she decided to take the liberty of pulling them all out one by one.
"Ow! Oww! OWW! Starshine! You could be a little more gentle, y'know?!" Firefly snapped angrily.
"Sorry, but when you're dealing with thorns, there's no such thing as gentle," Starshine told her gently. She meant this to justify her actions, but Firefly took it as a retort.
'Seriously! Medley's way better at this than you!' Firefly thought. But as soon as Medley appeared in her mind again, her anger turned back into worry. 'Medley...that was your scream. I know it was. I heard other ponies call your name right afterward, too! I have to save you! You're my friend!' Firefly thought as she felt the anger in her heart dissipate. After a while, all of the thorns and thistles had been pulled off.
"I wish I brought my first aid kit so I could put some stuff on you," Starshine said, regretting the fact that she didn't bring a first aid kit with her, which is essential when going into a place like the Forsaken Wood.
"It's fine. A little pain won't stop me. Now come on! We've gotta find-OOF!" Firefly was about to zip away again when she slammed into something else.
"Firefly!" Starshine said as she flew over to a dizzy-looking Firefly. The area they're in isn't as covered with big, thick leaves as the other parts, so Starshine could see Firefly and the things around her just fine.
Starshine shook Firefly, trying to get her out of her dizzy state. "Firefly! What's wrong with you?! Snap out of it!" Starshine commanded.
"I'm...sleepy..." Firefly murmured wearily, then closed her eyes and began snoring.
Starshine found this to be very troubling. 'What in the world?! How the heck is Firefly sleepy all of a sudden?' Starshine thought. But she found her answer when she turned around.
A huge, dark purple flower the size of a wood wolf towered above them. It's leaves are black and pointy, sharp even, and the inside of the purple flower is white. It abounded in purple foliage, but Starshine yelped once she laid eyes on it.
"Oh no! A Sleep Violet! That explains it! I..." Starshine yelped and was about to make a run for it, but suddenly she began to feel sleepy, just like Firefly.
"I...I've gotta...gotta...ahhhh..." Starshine fell on top of Firefly and slept away like a filly. The two of them completely forgot about trying to find Medley.
As for the pony group, after a lot of walking, they decided to take a break and sit down in the middle of the dirt path. Moondancer, Glory, and Sunbeam continued to make light with their horns while Twilight kept the light on her helmet on. None of the ponies said a word to each other as they rested. They made sure to be on their guard for more ferocious creatures like wood wolves. Everypony looked grim and serious, even the most hyper ponies, like Lickety-Split and Sunbeam, looked eerily grim. Bubbles thought about brightening the mood a bit, but she didn't know how, and normally her attempts to brighten the mood don't always go as she planned.
She turned around to find Medley, looking up at the thick leaves covering the sky sadly. Bubbles even caught sight of some tears streaming down Medley's green face. Bubbles gently tapped Lickety-Split's leg and pointed to Medley. The forest green pegasus was now overcome with sadness from the outcome of their little squabble, worry because of the situation they're in, and some pain because of the prick marks on her hoof. She wondered if she would ever see Firefly again, or even reconcile with her. Medley wished she hadn't gotten so fussy and so frustrated earlier today. She wished she had better control of the situation. She wished she could have fixed it instead of exacerbate it. Medley looked down and closed her eyes again.
"Medley?"
Bubbles' sweet voice pulled Medley out of her grim reverie. She turned around to find Bubbles and Lickety-Split standing behind her, both with sympathetic and worried faces.
"You alright?" Lickety-Split asked as she sat next to her. Bubbles did the same, but on the other side.
"No..." Medley murmured.
"Worried about Firefly?" Bubbles asked.
Medley nodded grimly. "If only I hadn't criticized Firefly so much...if I hadn't been so fussy, we wouldn't be in this mess right now. Everyone's putting themselves in harm's way because of me!" Medley cried, softly at first, then louder upon blaming herself for their current situation.
Lickety-Split was about to say something until Bubbles gently rubbed her head against Medley's. Bubbles stroke and nuzzled Medley's face with her own yellow one without a word. At first Medley was a little surprised, even confused by this gesture, wondering why Bubbles is doing this. But then she remembered: this is Bubbles' special way of trying to cheer somepony up and make them feel better. Bubbles doesn't use words to try and comfort somepony. Once she finished stroking Medley's tear-stained face with her own yellow one, she sat closer to her and rubbed herself against her. This made Medley touched.
"Bubbles..." Medley whispered sadly, even though she's quite happy with what Bubbles did. Bubbles, however, misconstrued Medley's expression.
"Aw. Did I make you sad again?" Bubbles asked, thinking she did something wrong.
"No, Bubbles. I'm just so happy you care for me this way..." Medley whimpered.
"But you're crying! If you're crying, then you're sad! My nuzzle didn't make you happy!" Bubbles exclaimed, convinced that she did something wrong. But Lickety-Split intervened as soon as Bubbles was about to make a scene.
"She's trying to tell you that you shouldn't be so hard on yourself. Anypony can make that kind of mistake. I've had my fair share of bad days and I certainly took my anger out on a lot of ponies, too! You're not alone, Meds, and I'm sure Firefly will understand," Lickety-Split told her reassuringly while stroking the mare's forest green hair with her hoof, smoothing it out.
"But...what especially makes me sad is that I took my anger out on my very first friend. The very first pony that I ever made friends with...and the first one who accepted me for who I am..." Medley whimpered.
"Really? Firefly was your first friend?" Bubbles asked.
"Yep! Don't you know, Bubbles? Firefly and Medley met at a flight camp when they were tiny little fillies!" Lickety-Split said with a smile.
Bubbles' eyes widened with innocent, child-like curiosity. "Tell me a story about you and Firefly. Please?"
Medley smiled a bit because of Bubbles being so innocent, not knowing anything about her past with Firefly, so she decided to give in. "Alright. I'll tell you the story."
Medley told Bubbles and Lickety-Split about how she didn't want to go to the flight camp, how the other colts bullied her for being unable to fly properly, how the teachers would scold her for not taking any risks no matter what they did, for hiding in corners and playing with the instruments a lot, and for being a coward. But Firefly always stood up for her even though Medley didn't consider her to be a friend at the time. Medley did, however, remember one fond memory with Firefly that she's always wanted to share.
(flashback)
This happened the day before Starshine paired Firefly and Medley up. Once class was over, all the colts in Starshine's class were allowed to play in the clouds for recess. Instead of play with the other foals or practice flying, the young, timid, green pegasus filly decided to go somewhere quiet and explore since she's still trying to get used to her surroundings. But she had to make sure she didn't go too far because the teachers would yell at her if she went any further than her designated play place.
She looked around for a bit, then saw one cloud containing a puddle of water. Naturally becoming curious, she decided to look in it, for she had never seen a puddle of water in the sky before. She looked in it and much to her surprise, her face is being shown in the water! Little Medley thought the water was playing tricks on her. Did the face in the water really do what she did at the same time? She turned her head to the left side. The reflection did the same. She turned her head to the left. The reflection did the same. To try and confirm this further, she very slowly and cautiously proceeded to dip her pert little green nose into the water. She made contact with the water, but it felt so cold, so freezing, that she couldn't help but flail a little as she pulled it out.
Naturally, the freezing sensation faded as soon as she left the water, but now the water looked very ripply and distorted. She wondered if she caused that. But bravely, she looked in it again, watching the water reform. But, to her surprise, not only did her own reflection appear again, but another face appeared! The face of a pink filly with lightning blue hair. Curious little Medley looked both at that face, then at her own. Twice. Realizing what this meant, she cautiously looked up.
And there she was! Firefly! Medley recognized this little pink filly, even knew her name because she's the one who saved her from the three mean colts who assaulted her once. However, Medley was still cautious to a point where she didn't consider Firefly to be her friend just yet. Firefly, however, thought differently. Upon seeing Medley look into her bright, energetic face, she laughed and walked two steps forward, which stimulated the little green filly into taking two steps back shyly. Firefly walked two more steps toward her, and Medley walked two more steps back. Becoming a little frightened, Medley trotted away, hoping to have some space, but Firefly suddenly began chasing after her while giggling. Seeing that Starshine and Skydancer are nearby, Medley decided to run over to them. Firefly followed her. Realizing that Firefly is still on her tail, Medley ran all around Skydancer and Starshine's spindly legs, and so did Firefly. They chased each other like cats and dogs. Weirdly enough, Starshine and Skydancer didn't mind seeing these two playful little fillies running all around their legs. Medley ran behind Starshine while Firefly happily stood in front of Skydancer, who looked a little weirded out by the situation. Starshine looked down at Medley with a smile, seeing the innocent confusion and anxiety on her green face.
"That's little Firefly. You remember her, don't you?" Starshine told her. Medley nodded silently.
Firefly's blue tail wagged left and right vigorously as she looked upon Medley with her wide, purple eyes. After a bit, she looked up at Skydancer. "She's kinda bashful, isn't she, Skydancer?"
"Well, maybe she wouldn't be if you said hello," Skydancer told her calmly.
Firefly hopped in front of Starshine, though she was mostly looking at Medley. "Hello Medley!"
Of course, being the timid pegasus that she is, Medley continued to hide behind Starshine's back legs, unsure of whether to respond to this energetic pink pony or not.
"I said hello!" Firefly exclaimed impatiently.
"Don't be impatient, Firefly. You shouldn't force it," Skydancer told her.
"Aren't you going to answer her?" Starshine asked Medley, who shook her head.
"You're not afraid, are you?" Starshine asked again. Normally, when ponies are asked if they're afraid of something, they usually say no as a way to hide any sign of weakness. But Medley nodded, which meant yes. Starshine and Skydancer looked at each other with confused faces. Starshine moved out from between Firefly and Medley.
"You shouldn't be afraid to make friends, Medley dear. Why don't you and Firefly play together for a while?" Starshine told her, then left with Skydancer, leaving the two young fillies all alone.
"Hey! I know a great game we can play!" Firefly exclaimed as she ran to a big basket full of toys. She picked out a big yellow and orange ball. "Let's play Pegasus Volleyball!"
"But...that's a beach ball," Medley said.
"That doesn't mean we can't use it for other stuff! Come on, Medley! Let's play!" Firefly said.
Cautiously and timidly, Medley complied and played with Firefly. However, Medley soon began to enjoy herself. She found herself liking this rambunctious, energetic, and wild pegasus filly, with her blue hair, her bright lavender eyes, her playful personality, her irrepressibly courageous demeanor, her wild and dramatic flair, and her ability to fly so easily. Soon, Medley found herself flying in the air! Ten feet above ground, and she never reached that height before.
"Hey Medley! You're flying!" Firefly told her.
Medley was surprised by the fact that her little green wings are flapping and that she's actually staying in the air! She didn't fall, her wings didn't cramp, and she didn't feel any fear. Perhaps this is why Firefly was so intent on playing with her: to teach her how to fly and take a risk.
The two fillies somehow managed to stay together thanks to Starshine, and, in later years, they began going to flight camp together all the time. In their third year of flight camp, Medley and Firefly sat on a cloud together and talked. It was something Medley wanted to discuss with Firefly for a long time, but never got the chance to do so.
"Firefly? Exactly...why did you become friends with me?" Medley asked politely after she stopped playing an ocarina she got from her pink, blue-haired friend for her birthday. Firefly was about to zip off the cloud and perform a trick until she heard Medley's question and stopped.
"What do you mean why?" Firefly asked.
"Well, you could have hung out with other energetic and rambunctious pegasi like yourself, yet you continued to stay with me, a timid, weak-willed, and cowardly pegasus who couldn't fly ten feet in the air without falling before. A lot of the pegasi there didn't like a shy, clumsy flier like me, yet...why did you continue to stay with me, even after other pegasi began picking on you for being around me?" Medley rephrased her question so Firefly could understand better.
Firefly didn't even take a moment to think. She knew the answer to that question right away. "Because you're my friend!"
Medley was caught quite off guard.
"Well, to be honest, it made me mad when those colts were pickin' on you back there, and I figured that if I didn't stand up for you, then you'd get hurt, and I don't like it when pegasi are picked on. That, and I kind of wanted to prove to my parents that I can be good, though they weren't there when it happened. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't using you to make myself look good or anything. I guess I thought maybe you wanted a super special friend who would kindly accept you for who you are and stuff, without being mean or nasty about it. Besides, you're my first friend, and I want us to continue being friends forever and ever and ever. We're still friends, right?" Firefly explained, even though she's having a bit of trouble coming up with the right words to explain herself.
Medley was speechless. She didn't know what to say. She knew Firefly did care about her in a way, but Medley didn't feel she deserved any friends because she was so timid and weak-willed when she first began going to flight camp. She didn't understand why a restless and wild filly like Firefly would ever want to befriend a shy, cowardly, somewhat flightless filly like herself, yet here's Firefly telling her that she's her first friend and wants to continue treasuring that for the rest of her life. Medley suddenly found tears streaming down her face. Firefly saw this and was surprised.
"Oh ponyfeathers! Did I do that?! I'm sorry!" Firefly exclaimed, thinking she did something wrong.
"No! I'm not upset," Medley told her as she wiped some tears away with her hoof. "I'm just so happy that you consider me important, even though I'm such a stupid scaredy-pony."
"You're not stupid at all! You're important to me!" Firefly told her sternly with crossed hooves. "So yeah, you were a bit of a scaredy-pony, but I thought maybe you needed someone who could help you take some risks once in a while! Besides, who cares about what other ponies think? They don't understand how great you really are! No matter what, you'll always be my first and best friend!"
Medley finished wiping away her tears and smiled at Firefly. "You're my best friend, too."
(end flashback)
"Awww! That's such a sweet story!" Bubbles cooed sweetly, touched by Medley's recount.
"Yes, though I have to admit, I think our friendship really took off because Starshine paired us up. I think if it weren't for that, we wouldn't be as close as we are now," Medley explained. But upon saying that, she realized that something about it seemed odd. "Come to think of it, Starshine could have paired me and Firefly with other pegasi. But I wonder why she paired us up? Something tells me it couldn't be a coincidence..." Medley thought out loud until she was pulled out of her reverie.
"I think I might know why she paired you two up," Lickety-Split said out of nowhere and, as Medley and Bubbles both noticed, rather solemnly, which is unlike her because she's usually so cheery and so happy all the time, kind of Like Sunbeam, Fizzy, and Surprise.
"Do you?" Bubbles asked.
"I think Starshine paired you and Firefly up on purpose because she thought you'd compliment each other well. Y'know, Firefly's the tomboy and you're the girly girl. Maybe she thought you two would be great influences on each other. You'd keep Firefly out of trouble and teach her how to restrain herself and not be so reckless, and Firefly could teach you to have some courage, take some risks, and enjoy yourself, even if it meant getting in trouble. I know Bow Tie and Moondancer are like that with each other, so maybe Starshine knew that you two would benefit from being near each other every day," Lickety-Split explained solemnly, but in a kind, gentle, wise voice.
"Gosh. I never thought about it that way," Medley said.
"Lemon Drop and I are childhood friends too!" Bubbles exclaimed.
Lickety-Split was about to say something until Glory appeared before the trio with her horn glowing.
"You three need to get ready. We're about to depart in a few minutes," Glory told them politely.
"Alright. Thanks for the warning," Lickety-Split said with a smile, then turned to Medley and Bubbles. "We'd better get moving again, even though I really want to get out of here."
"Me too," Bubbles said.
With that, the pony group prepared for another trip into the Forsaken Wood.
But what of Firefly and Starshine?
"Urgh..." Starshine said as she woke up. Her head was pounding, so once she got up, she rubbed it with her hoof. "What hit me?"
As soon as she said that, she looked up and saw the flower, the Sleep Violet, that she and Firefly ran into and remembered everything. As she saw it, she pushed the unconscious Firefly further away from it.
"Oh! I remember! We ran into this thing!" Starshine said until she felt something stir. It was Firefly, who steadily awoke from her slumber.
"My head feels like it's been loaded with bricks..." Firefly mused wearily as she woke up.
"Firefly! Thank goodness you're awake!" Starshine exclaimed.
"What happened just now? Why did I fall asleep?" Firefly asked, confused.
"We both fell asleep, and that's because we ran into this big flower called a Sleep Violet," Starshine explained.
"A Sleep Violet?" Firefly asked.
"Yep!" Starshine said. "Sleep Violets are huge flowers that grow in the Forsaken Wood, along with other places as well. They're not poisonous, thank goodness, but if you touch their foliage, it emits a strong aroma that puts you to sleep for varying amounts of time. Doctors often use it as a kind of anesthesia for patients when prepping them for an operation, as the aroma also makes your body feel nothing."
"That explains it," Firefly said.
"I'm just glad we didn't run into anything poisonous. Man, if only I brought my kit with me!" Starshine complained, regretting the fact that she failed to bring a first aid kit with her.
Then Firefly remembered immediately. "Oh no! Medley! I've gotta find her and fast!" With that, she zipped away.
"Firefly! Wait! You've gotta calm down!" Starshine immediately chased after Firefly, who, weirdly enough, wasn't as affected by the effects of the Sleep Violet as Starshine was. It's no wonder she's so nimble and agile.
Meanwhile, the pony gang continued to walk...until Moondancer suddenly stopped, which prompted all of the other ponies to stop in their tracks as well.
"What's wrong, Moondancer?" Twilight asked.
"Shh!" Moondancer hushed. "There's a clearing with six sleeping wood wolves up ahead," Moondancer told them quietly. Even though she warned them in advance, all the ponies became scared, though they were wise to keep silent.
Moondancer cautiously approached the clearing and lit part of it up with the rosy red light of her white horn. She's right. Six wood wolves are sleeping contentedly in the clearing. Moondancer then dimmed the light of her horn, which Lemon Drop noticed.
"Why are you dimming your light?" Lemon Drop asked in a low whisper.
"Since it's normally pitch black in the Forsaken Wood, I think the light might wake them up, so we better ease up on the lights," Moondancer told Lemon Drop, then turned to Sunbeam and Glory. "You two, dim your lights a bit so we don't wake them."
"Will do, sister," Glory said as she and Sunbeam complied and dimmed the lights enough so they wouldn't disturb the wood wolves, but made sure they glowed enough so they can at least see where they're going.
"Since the wood wolves are sleeping, we better use this chance to get by them. Don't make even the smallest peep or go anywhere near them," Moondancer told everypony in a whisper, and they all nodded.
Silently and cautiously, the ponies stayed together as they attempted to walk past the wood wolves. They somehow managed to get to the middle of the clearing without difficulty...until Lickety-Split suddenly felt her front hoof step on a thorny vine.
"YOOOWW!" Lickety-Split roared in pain while running backwards and stepping on a sleeping wood wolf's tail with one of her back legs, which in turn made the wood wolf wake up and howl in pain, and with that, every wood wolf in the clearing woke up.
"Lickety-Split!" Everypony yelled angrily.
"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to, I swear!" Lickety-Split cried out as all six wood wolves closed in on them, staring at them with bloodthirsty eyes and glistening teeth.
As soon as two wood wolves lunged at them, Medley and Twilight both flew out of the way while Moondancer and Sunbeam immediately shot rays of light from their horns, both of which hit the two wood wolves, blackening their bellies a little. Another wood wolf tried to scratch Glory, but she dodged the attack and kicked the wood wolf in the face with her back legs.
"Take that, you ruffian!" Glory exclaimed, not knowing that another wood wolf is behind her.
"Glory! Look out!" Lickety-Split yelled as she hopped onto the wood wolf's back and yanked it by the ears, causing it to divert its attention away from the elegant unicorn and go wild as Lickety-Split did the exact same thing Lemon Drop did before. The wood wolf thrashed and jumped around wildly, hoping to throw the pink pony off, but she wouldn't give up.
"Sunbeam! Put this thing under a hibernation spell or something!" Lickety-Split commanded.
"You got it!" Sunbeam exclaimed as her horn glowed in a yellow light. As soon as Lickety-Split smacked the wood wolf over the head and jumped off of him in the same manner, a light appeared from Sunbeam's horn, hitting the wood wolf and making it fall back asleep.
Unfortunately, unlike the first incident, dealing with five or six wood wolves proved to be very difficult indeed. They moved so fast, even the ponies couldn't keep up with them despite outnumbering them.
"These things are so fast! How can they move in this darkness?!" Lemon Drop complained.
"Wood wolves are nocturnal! They can see in the dark!" Medley said.
"That's not good at all!" Bow Tie said as she kicked a wood wolf in the stomach, rendering it unable to breathe, which gave Glory the opportunity to put it under a hibernation spell just like Sunbeam did earlier. But Bow Tie didn't know that a wood wolf was closing in on her.
"BOW!" Moondancer cried as she violently bit a wood wolf's ear, causing it to howl in pain. This gave Bow Tie the opportunity to escape and Twilight and Medley the opportunity to help Moondancer as she put that one under a hibernation spell as well.
"Three down, three more to go," Medley mused when suddenly a loud whinny came from where the ponies came in.
"BUBBLES! NO!" Lemon Drop screamed upon laying eyes on a horrible sight.
One wood wolf has a helpless Bubbles pinned to the ground while another one closed in on it.
Lemon Drop became absolutely choleric.
"YOU LEAVE MY FRIEND ALONE YOU BEASTS!" Lemon Drop screamed angrily as she charged at them like a wild bull.
"No, Lemon Drop! Don't!" Medley tried to stop her but the angry, purple-haired pony ran so fast Medley couldn't keep up.
"HELP ME!" Bubbles cried and screamed and tried to break free from the wood wolf's grasp, but being as physically weak as she is, she couldn't. Lemon Drop tried to save her, but the other wood wolf, knowing what she was going to do, stopped her from going any further. The other ponies tried to step in as well, but the third wood wolf managed to stop them all for getting any closer to Bubbles and the wood wolf.
Bubbles tried everything. She tried hitting the wood wolf's legs with her free hooves and biting it with her teeth, but it didn't work. Scared as she was, she struggled to break free like Medley did. But unlike Medley, who did manage to break free, Bubbles couldn't save herself as the wood wolf who pinned her down proceeded to use it's free claw to tear her to shreds. Bubbles squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for her demise.
A scream echoed in the forest, but it didn't belong to Bubbles. No, it sure didn't.
Bubbles, seeing that she survived, opened her eyes, though she would soon regret it.
She saw green feathers flying and a green blur fall next to her.
She recognized the green blur immediately.
"MEDS!" Everypony screamed in perfect unison, Bubbles included.
Medley lay on the dirt, with part of her wing cut by the wood wolf's claws. The cut wasn't so strong that blood came out or that it broke her wing, but she was still rendered very weak. The wood wolf decided to free Bubbles and decide that Medley is more its prey than Bubbles is. The other ponies tried to approach her, but the other wood wolves just wouldn't let them.
Despite this, Medley tried to get up. She tried to use her legs to stand up and at least get away while she had the chance, but her weak legs succumbed to exhaustion and conceded defeat, causing her to fall back on the ground as a wood wolf stared down at her with glowing eyes, glistening teeth, and a thirst for blood.
Medley knew everything was going to end here. 'Firefly...I'm sorry...I'm sorry I'm such a bad friend. I don't deserve...to be your friend. I'm sorry...' Medley thought as she attempted to close her eyes and wait for death to overtake her. She thought this was her punishment for being so cruel to Firefly, so she decided to accept it.
But she saw something else. Something she recognized.